Chapter 622 Why Are You Eavesdropping on My Call?
Hearing Cormac's phone ring, Alaric felt a surge of frustration. After spending half the day fishing, he finally had one on the line, only to have it scared off by the ringtone.
The call was from Aurora, who was currently in Silverlight City, miles away. She should have been in class at this time, so Cormac was a bit worried when he saw her calling and quickly answered.
"Really?" Cormac was so excited he nearly jumped up when he heard what Aurora said. "Aurora, you're amazing! So proud of you! We'll celebrate properly when you come home for break!"
"Dad, what's up with Aurora?" Ethan rushed over, looking concerned when he heard it was Aurora on the phone.
"Aurora got into a graduate program."
"That's incredible!" Stellan was genuinely surprised. "Isn't she just a sophomore? Getting into a grad program as a sophomore?"
"Yeah, I didn't expect it either. I knew she'd get in eventually, but I thought it would be in her junior year at least. She's just that outstanding!"
Cormac then turned to Alaric, bragging, "How about that? My kid's pretty impressive, huh? Only the best students get into grad programs as sophomores."
"What does Aurora's excellence have to do with you? She was a top student before she even met you. Don't flatter yourself," Alaric said disdainfully.
"I don't care. Aurora's part of our family, and she's our pride," Cormac said, full of paternal pride.
"Aurora's been with Cormac since she was fourteen. Of course, he's had a hand in her success," Stellan added. "With her talent in medicine, we can't let her stay in Silverlight City after graduation. She needs to come back to Arizona City and join VitalityCare Medical Center. I'll train her as my successor."
"Don't worry, I won't let her stay in Silverlight City. She has to come back after graduation," Cormac assured. "Her grades are good enough for top medical schools abroad, but Aurora is too kind-hearted and always thinks of others. I wouldn't feel comfortable with her going abroad alone, so Silverlight City was the compromise. Honestly, even Silverlight City feels too far."
"Cormac, I'm not trying to make things difficult for you, but Aurora is over twenty now. She's grown up and has her ideas. If she starts dating in college, it's not like you can just tell her to come back and she will."
"Shut your mouth. Aurora said she's focusing on her studies and won't date in college."
"I'm just stating the facts. Kids growing up and becoming independent is a natural process. You should be prepared for it. You can't keep them tied to you forever. You have to learn to let go," Alaric said.
"How many people can be as carefree as you, Alaric?" Cormac complained. "Most parents let go at eighteen. You let Caspian go at seven. I don't have your level of detachment. Besides, Caspian's a boy. Aurora's a girl. It's different."
With that, Cormac, filled with uncle-like concern, lost interest in fishing and pulled out his phone again. "I need to call Aurora back and remind her not to date in college and to come back to Arizona City right after graduation."
Alaric could only smile helplessly and turned to Rowena. "Good thing Ethan's a boy. If he were a girl, Cormac would worry himself to death over two daughters."
Cormac knew this himself. He often said he was glad Ethan was a boy; otherwise, he'd worry himself sick.
Aurora had just finished her call with Cormac and was heading back to her apartment. There was a school event today, so she had no classes in the afternoon. Seeing Cormac calling again, she quickly answered, "Hey, Uncle Cormac."
As she answered, two girls from her department walked out of the teaching building. Seeing her on the phone, they exchanged a look and deliberately moved closer to eavesdrop.
"Aurora, I didn't finish what I was saying earlier," Cormac said. "You're in college now, and I shouldn't interfere too much. But Silverlight City is far from Arizona City, and your classmates come from all over the country. If you start dating, the chances of you coming back to Arizona City are slim."
Aurora couldn't help but laugh. "Uncle Cormac, don't worry. I won't date. I'll come back to Arizona City after graduation."
"That's a relief," Cormac said, then quickly asked, "How are things there? Are you comfortable in the apartment? If not, we can find another one."
"It's great," Aurora said, feeling a bit embarrassed. When she first came to college, Cormac and Rowena had brought her. Aurora had wanted to stay in the dorms, but Cormac wouldn't hear of it.
In high school, Aurora had to stay in the dorms, but college didn't have that requirement. So, Cormac rented a luxury apartment near the school for her, just a six or seven-minute walk away.
"I'm just a student. Living in such a nice apartment is unnecessary. Honestly, Uncle Cormac."
"It's necessary. You're not just aiming for a diploma. You're going for a PhD and a postdoc. Your study environment needs to be good. Just focus on your studies and don't worry about anything else. We're not living in hard times anymore. You're old enough to care about your appearance. Buy some clothes and makeup. Don't be afraid to spend money, got it?"
Cormac knew Aurora too well. She had always been frugal, never spending on herself. She could wear the same clothes for years.
"I know, Uncle Cormac."
Meeting Cormac was the luckiest thing in her life. His kindness went beyond blood relations. And good things happened to good people. Cormac had become a big shot in the business world.
So, every month, Cormac sent her a lot of money, afraid she wouldn't have enough. But she spent very little. Her frugality was a habit from childhood, hard to change.
"Alright, Uncle Cormac, I'm heading back to the apartment. I'll come home for summer break."
Aurora hung up and turned to see the two girls standing next to her, startling her. These two were the school's celebrities.
The tall, beautiful girl was Kelly Stevenson, the acknowledged campus queen. With her was Jade Whisperwind, her best friend.
Kelly wasn't just pretty; she was also smart, though slightly less so than Aurora. Everyone had speculated that the grad program spot would go to either Kelly or Aurora. In the end, Aurora got it, so Kelly was hostile towards her.
Their actions made it clear they were eavesdropping, which angered Aurora. "Why are you eavesdropping on my call? That's rude."
"What are you talking about? Is this your road? We can't walk by while you're on the phone?" Jade said sarcastically.
"Or are you making some secret call you don't want anyone to hear?" Kelly mocked. "Aurora, do you have a persecution complex? We just happened to walk by, and you accuse us of eavesdropping. Ridiculous."
Kelly bumped Aurora's shoulder arrogantly as she and Jade walked past.
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